Learn Spanish (Spain): Los vecinos protestan por el ruido. - The neighbors are protesting about the noise.

Los vecinos protestan por el ruido.

The neighbors are protesting about the noise.

Breakdown of Los vecinos protestan por el ruido.

Questions & Answers about Los vecinos protestan por el ruido.

Why does the sentence use por instead of sobre to mean "about"?

In Spanish, por is used to express the cause or reason behind an action. Since the noise is the reason for the protest, you use por. Think of it as "protesting because of the noise."

The English translation says "are protesting". Why doesn't the Spanish sentence use están protestando?

The simple present tense in Spanish (protestan) is frequently used for ongoing present actions where English naturally uses the "-ing" form. You could say están protestando to emphasize it is happening at this very second, but the simple present is very common and natural here.

Could vecinos mean anything else besides "neighbors"?

Yes, vecinos is also the standard word for "residents" or "locals" of a town, neighborhood, or apartment building. Depending on the broader context, this sentence could easily be translated as "The residents are protesting about the noise."

Why is ruido used here instead of sonido?

Ruido specifically translates to "noise," which implies an unpleasant, loud, or disruptive sound. Sonido simply means "sound" and is used for neutral or pleasant things, like the sound of rain or music.